Authors: Randy Alcorn
Heaven (30 page)
WHAT WILL THE GREAT CITY BE LIKE?
W
hy did Magellan and Columbus and all the other explorers and their crews go off seeking "the new world"? Because
we were made to seek out new worlds.
We were
made
to be seekers and explorers. As we seek and explore God's creation, we'll grow in our knowledge of God, becoming increasingly
motivated to explore the wonders of God himself.
The demands and distractions of our present life teach us to set aside or stifle our longing to explore, yet it still surfaces.
On the New Earth, that desire won't be thwarted or trumped by pragmatic considerations. Rather, it will be stimulated and
encouraged by God, each other, and all that's within us.
However, the first place we may wish to explore will be the largest city that has ever existed—the capital city of the New
Earth. The New Jerusalem will be a place of extravagant beauty and natural wonders. It will be a vast Eden, integrated with
the best of human culture, under the reign of Christ. More wealth than has been accumulated in all human history will be spread
freely across this immense city.
HOW EXTRAVAGANT WILL THE CITY BE?
Presumably many other cities will be on the New Earth, such as those Jesus mentioned in the stewardship parables (Luke 19:17-19).
The kings of nations who bring their treasures into the New Jerusalem must come from and return to somewhere, presumably
countryside and cities lying beyond the New Jerusalem. But no city will be like this one, for it will be called home by the
King of kings.
Heaven's capital city will be filled with visual magnificence. "It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like
that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" (Revelation 21:11). John goes on to describe the opulence:
"The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated
with every kind of precious stone" (Revelation 21:18-19). John then names twelve stones, eight of which correspond to the
stones of the high priest's breastpiece (Exodus 28:17-20).
The precious stones and gold represent incredible wealth, suggestive of the exorbitant riches of God's splendor. "The twelve
gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent
glass" (Revelation 21:21). Each gate tower is carved from a single, huge pearl. "Among the ancients, the pearl was highest
in value among the precious stones."
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The text doesn't say this, but commentators often suggest that because a pearl is formed through the oyster's pain, the pearl
may symbolize Christ's suffering on our behalf as well as the eternal beauty that can come out of our temporary suffering.
WHAT IS THE RIVER OF LIFE?
John describes a natural wonder in the center of the New Jerusalem: "the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city" (Revelation 22:1-2). Why is
water important? Because the city is a center of human life and water is an essential part of life. Ghosts don't need water,
but human bodies do. We all know what it's like to be thirsty, but the original readers, who lived in a bone-dry climate,
readily grasped the wonder of constantly available fresh water, pure and uncontaminated, able to satisfy the deepest thirst.
Notice that the source of this powerful stream is the throne of God, occupied by the Lamb. He's the source of all natural
beauties and wonders. They derive their beauty from the Artist. The great river reflects his thirst-quenching, need-satisfying
nature. He always meets his people's needs and fulfills their longings.
On the New Earth, we won't have to leave the city to find natural beauty. It will be incorporated into the city, with the
river of life as its source. The river flows down the city's main street. Likely it has countless tributaries flowing throughout
the rest of the city. Can you picture people talking and laughing beside this river, sticking their hands and faces down
into the water and drinking? This fully accessible natural wonder on the city's main street is amazing—something that would
be featured in any travel brochure.
The city has many other streets, of course, but none like this, for this one leads directly to the king's throne. The fact
that the water is flowing down from it suggests the throne's high elevation. One need only follow the street—or the river—up
to its source to arrive at the city's centerpiece: the Lamb's throne.
WHAT IS THE TREE OF LIFE?
After John describes the river of life, he mentions another striking feature: "On each side of the river stood the tree of
life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations" (Revelation
22:2).
The tree of life is mentioned three times in Genesis 2, in Eden, and again four times in Revelation, three of those in the
final chapter. These instances seem to refer to Eden's literal tree of life. We're told the tree of life is presently in Paradise,
the intermediate Heaven (Revelation 2:7). The New Jerusalem itself, also in the present Heaven, will be brought down, tree
of life and all, and placed on the New Earth (Revelation 21:2). Just as the tree was apparently relocated from Eden to the
present Heaven, it will be relocated again to the New Earth.
In Eden, the tree appears to have been a source of ongoing physical life. The presence of the tree of life suggests a supernatural
provision of life as Adam and Eve ate the fruit their Creator provided. Adam and Eve were designed to live forever, but to
do so they likely needed to eat from the tree of life. Once they sinned, they were banned from the Garden, separated from
the tree, and subject to physical death, just as they had experienced spiritual death. Since Eden, death has reigned throughout
history. But on the New Earth, our access to the tree of life is forever restored. (Notice that there's no mention of a tree
of the knowledge of good and evil to test us. The redeemed have already known sin and its devastation; they will desire it
no more.)
In the New Earth, we will freely eat the fruit of the same tree that nourished Adam and Eve: "To him who overcomes, I will
give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). Once more human beings will
draw their strength and vitality from this tree. The tree will produce not one crop but twelve. The newness and freshness
of Heaven is demonstrated in the monthly yield of fruit.The fruit is not merely to be admired but consumed.
Then shall I see, and hear, and know All I desired or wished below; And every power find sweet employ In that eternal world
of joy.
ISAAC WATTS
The description of the tree of life in Revelation
22
mirrors precisely what's prophesied in the Old Testament: "Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.
Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary
flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing" (Ezekiel 47:12).
Commentator William Hendriksen suggests, "The term 'tree of life' is collective, just like 'avenue' and 'river.' The idea
is not that there is just one single tree. No, there is an entire park: whole rows of trees alongside the river; hence, between
the river and the avenue. And this is true with respect to all the avenues of the city. Hence, the city is just full of parks,
cf. Rev. 2:7. Observe, therefore, this wonderful truth: the city is full of rivers of life. It is also full of parks containing
trees of life. These trees, moreover, are full of fruit."
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This broader view of the tree of life would account for the fact that the tree grows on both sides of a great river at once
and yields twelve different kinds of fruit. (Of course, even if Hendriksen is wrong in supposing that the tree of life is
collective, it is reasonable that just as there were other trees in Eden, there will be other trees on the New Earth.)
John also tells us that "the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Revelation
22:2).
For the third time in Revelation 21-22, the inhabitants of the New Earth are referred to as nations. Nations will not be eliminated
but healed. But since we won't experience pain or disease in Heaven, what's the point of leaves for healing? Perhaps they,
like the tree's fruit, will have life-sustaining or life-enhancing properties that will help people maintain health and energy.
Our physical life and health, even our healing, comes not from our intrinsic immortal nature but from partaking of God's gracious
provision in the fruit and leaves of the tree of life. Hence, our well-being is not granted once for all but will be forever
sustained and renewed as we depend on him and draw from his provision.
Some people find it hard to understand why perfectly healthy people will need food, water, and health-giving vegetation on
the New Earth. It appears that we will still have needs, but they will all be met. The organic nature of edible fruit and
medicinal leaves emphasizes the tie of mankind to Earth, suggesting that eternal life won't be as different from life in
Eden as is often assumed.
WILL THE NEW EARTH HAVE OTHER NATURAL WONDERS?
What Scripture tells us about the river of life and the tree of life and its fruits is indicative of the natural wonders
that will be part of the New Earth. Just as "the tree" probably includes many trees, "the river" likely becomes many rivers,
which in turn form lakes. Since this is the New Earth, we should expect geographical properties of Earth: mountains, waterfalls,
and other natural wonders.
In describing the New Earth, John speaks of "a mountain great and high" (Revelation 21:10). Note that John calls it
a
mountain, not
the
mountain. We know that the New Earth has at least one mountain, and we can assume it has hundreds or thousands of them.
Just as our resurrection bodies will be better than our current ones, the New Earth's natural wonders will presumably be more
spectacular than those we now know. We can expect more magnificent mountains and more beautiful lakes and flowers than those
on this earth. If we imagine the New Earth to have fewer and less beautiful features than the old, we picture the earth's
regression. The least we should expect is retention. But in fact, I believe there's every reason to anticipate
progression.
The depiction of the precious metals and stones and vast architecture is lavish beyond imagination, as are the descriptions
of trees on both sides of the great river, bearing new fruit each month. Everything God tells us suggests we will look back
at the present Earth and conclude, creatively speaking, that God was just "warming up" and getting started.
Look at God's track record in creating natural wonders in this universe. On Mars, the volcano Olympus Mons rises 79,000 feet,
nearly three times higher than Mount Everest. The base of Olympus Mons is 370 miles across and would cover the entire state
of Nebraska. The Valles Marineris is a vast canyon that stretches one-sixth of the way around Mars. It's 2,800 miles long,
370 miles wide, and 4.5 miles deep. Hundreds of our Grand Canyons could fit inside it.
The New Earth may have far more spectacular features than these. Imagine what we might find on the new Mars or the new Saturn
and Jupiter and their magnificent moons. I remember vividly the thrill of first seeing Saturn's rings through my new telescope
when I was eleven years old. It exhilarated me and stirred my heart. Five years later, I heard the gospel for the first time
and came to know Jesus, but the wonders of the heavens helped lead me to God. How many times in the new universe will we be
stunned by the awesomeness of God's creation?
Remember, God will make the new heavens, which will correspond to the old and which will therefore include renewed versions
of the planets, stars, nebulae, and galaxies God created in the first heavens.
The New Earth's waterfalls may dwarf Niagara—or the New Niagara Falls may dwarf the one we know now. We will find rock formations
more spectacular than Yosemite's, peaks higher than the Himalayas, forests deeper and richer than anything we see in the
Pacific Northwest.
Some current earthly phenomena may not occur on the New Earth, including earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and volcanoes.
These may be aberrations due to the Curse. God's Kingdom is described as one "that cannot be shaken" (Hebrews 12:28). However,
it maybe that the foundations of the New Earth's buildings will be such that they would remain solid in the most violent storms
or earthquakes. In that case, we might ride out an earthquake as if we were on a roller coaster—experiencing the thrill of
the event without the danger. We could praise God for the display of his magnificent power.
On the present Earth, God shows himself through natural wonders and weather (Job 9:5-7; 38:34-35). Since the old Earth is
the prototype of the new, there's every reason to believe he will show his greatness and beauty the same way on the New Earth.
WILL THE NEW JERUSALEM'S BEAUTY BE NATURAL OR DESIGNED?
As I mentioned earlier, some people read the Bible's description of Heaven's capital city and think they will be uncomfortable
in that vast architecture. Tolkien seems to address this in his Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he portrays differing concepts
of Elvish beauty and Dwarvish beauty. Elves, people of the woods and waters, celebrate and protect the natural beauty of Middle
Earth. Dwarves, in contrast, are miners and builders who dig deep for precious stones and construct vast buildings. The Elves
are uncomfortable with Dwarvish architecture, and the Dwarves feel uncomfortable deep in the forest.
Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf forge a great friendship. They come to appreciate the previously undiscovered beauties
of each other's world. Legolas beholds the underground wonders of Moria, a gigantic and awesome architectural accomplishment,
testifying to the ingenuity and beauty of what Dwarves can carve out of stone. Similarly, Gimli comes to appreciate the spectacular
natural beauties of Lothlorien and of Galadriel, the Elven queen.
